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New York City life is terrible—Rico struggles with bad schools, a mean mother, and a best friend’s heroin addiction. Bad grades may mean military school for him.. Will Rico find freedom in Wisconsin? Or will he remain lost?

Punkzilla by Adam Rapp

Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2009 F Rap (YA)

Okay--you’ve run away from crappy military school (more pushups?!), you’re hangin in Portland kind of sketchy, and you find out your brother is dying. How much good’s in the world? How much bad? You’ll find out en route to Memphis...

Invisible by Pete Hautman

New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005. F Hau (YA)

Douglas Hanson considers himself normal. After all, he thinks that around 38 percent of his high school peers are “troubled.” If he’s troubled, he’s not the only one. However, it may be that not everybody is as troubled as Dougie.

Looking for Alaska by John Green

New York: Dutton Books, 2005. F Gre (YA)

Sometimes best friends are the only thing that can keep you sane. And when something terrible happens to one of them, wouldn’t you want to know what happened? And why? Especially if you think that it is your fault?

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin

New York: Square Fish, 2005. F Zev (YA)

Liz Hall has lots to look forward to--driver’s permit, going to the prom, growing up normal. After she’s killed and ends up in Elsewhere, she cannot look forward, only back…or does she have a future after her death?

The Dead & the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

New York: Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt, 2008. F Pfe (Sci Fi)

An asteroid smashes the moon into an altered orbit; disaster ensues. Tides wreak havoc, volcanoes blot out the sun. And what’s worse--some people are dead or gone. Armed with his wits and faith, can Alex Morales save his sisters?

New York: Washington Square Press, 2001. F Bar (YA)— Removed from a religious commune, Mary Fred Anderson ends up with a foster family that is anything but religious. She encounters new beliefs, but despite the changes that she experiences, she can’t quite get that sense of being home.

Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes

New York: Viking, 2009. F Bar (YA)— A group therapy veteran since the fourth grade, Kyle “Psycho” Shoemaker sets the goal of a normal senior year. But with a houseful of cats and an alcoholic mother, can he make it through a year without going nuts?

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

New York: Dutton Books, 2006. F Gre (YA)—Colin Singleton loves girls named Katherine (19 of them!), but they don’t feel the same way. Dumped by number 19, he roadtrips to figure out his love life and create a theorem to predict how long his relationships will last.

Born Blue by Han Nolan

Orlando, FL: Harcourt, 2001. F Nol (Multi Cult)—Born Janie, Leshaya has little in life except for her remarkable singing voice. Abandoned by her mother, she uses her musical talents to gain opportunities, but like most other things in her life, those chances are a real mixed bag.

It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

New York: Miramax Books, 2006. F Viz (YA)—Sometimes school can bring you down--Craig Gilner is so depressed he checks himself into a psychiatric hospital to save his life. Now that he’s there, he must work to escape from the hospital and from his own head.

flicks

The Mission. Dir. Roland Joffe. Perf. Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons.

Warner Bros., 1986. DVD. PG—In the 18th Century, Father Gabriel seeks salvation for indigenous South American tribes; former slave trader Mendoza seeks redemption for murdering his brother. To reach their goals, they must resist Portuguese slave traders. Choosing between faith or fighting proves difficult.

Say Anything. Dir. Cameron Crowe. Perf. John Cusack and Ione Skye.

Gracie Films, 1989. DVD. PG-13—More than anything, slacker Lloyd Dobler wants a date with beautiful, intelligent Diane Court. Soon, his life’s goal becomes spending time with her even though she’s headed off to college. When you trust somebody, you can say anything, can’t you?

tunes

Tom Waits. “Blind Love.” Rain Dogs. Island Records, 1985.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZGIK990m-A

From the man who said, “Oh, I don’t mind going to weddings, just as long as it’s not my own” comes this song—heartbreak in audio form.

Kentuckyian Ben Sollee will walk right on that stage toting his cello and fill your head full of awesome. Contrast this song’s tone with the Waits song—is heartache the same color in every heart? Video features the dance troupe Empujon.

Klimt’s timeless image resonates with viewers in part because it conveys a strong sense of longing—sometimes the most desired thing in the world is a kiss…

Andrew Wyeth. Christina’s World. 1948. The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=78455

In Wyeth’s painting, the sense of yearning is just as strong as in Klimt’s photo, but the object of the subject’s desire is not nearly as clear. Does this girl long for some of the same things that you do?